The invention relates to a system for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications in desired doses, said system comprising a dispensing device which includes
a housing or frame,
a cartridge movable with respect to the housing or frame and provided with individual dosage compartments for desired doses of medication,
means for manipulating the cartridge, whereby each individual dosage compartment is movable relative to the housing or frame to a dispensing point for the dose of medication,
a signaling device giving a sound and/or light signal, which activates at preprogrammed points of time, and
an electronics unit containing a dispensing program.
The invention relates also to a method for filling the dosage compartments of a cartridge of the above described type with a desired dose of medication.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,051 discloses a medication dispenser device, which is provided with a clock and a sound signal means for reminding of the taking of medication at pre-programmed times. The cover of a medication container can be opened by the pressing of a button at appropriate times for medication, which are programmable in a versatile manner. The dispensing container is an ordinary compartment tray, from which the medicine taker must be able to choose a proper compartment and ingest the dose of medication contained therein. This type of dispensing is not suitable for patients whose mental ability has impaired, e.g. as a result of dementia. Filling the dispensing compartments with proper doses of medication is a tedious and high-precision operation, which is a burden to health care personnel as there are large numbers of patients both in hospitals and home care who must be provided with regular medication.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,780 discloses a dispenser for medications, the dispensing being effected from a rotatable medication cartridge at regular intervals under the control of a clock in such a manner that each dose of medication can only be consumed during a preset time period, which is reminded of by means of an audible alarm. In addition, a visual signal can be used to indicate whether the medication can be taken, whether it has been taken, or whether it has not been taken at a prescribed time. The medications are released from the outer periphery of the cartridge by the action of gravity. The filling and handling of such a dispensing cartridge outside the device is awkward, nor is the dispensing cartridge intended to be disengaged. The dispensing cartridge is not suitable for refilling effected in an automated dispenser device. The programming of operation and limiting of a prescribed time interval are performed with a complicated mechanical assembly, which restricts programming possibilities substantially.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,285 discloses an automatic pill dispensing apparatus having a plurality of medication cartridges mounted on a rotatable shaft within a housing or cabinet. The dosage compartments are included in a rotatable inner cartridge unit which is fitted in a cylindrical non-rotatable cartridge housing which seals the circumferential surface and one of the lateral surfaces of medication compartments. The cartridge includes also a disc-shaped template provided with an array of holes for selecting the timing of dosage dispension. A clock and a microprocessor are used to control drive motors for the apparatus and a dispense bar motor, which can be actuated with a push button at preprogrammed dispensing times. The filling and handling of this type of dosage cartridge outside the apparatus is awkward. The dosage cartridge is not suitable for refilling effected in an automated dispensing apparatus. The design is complicated and expensive and requires a multitude of various templates.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,969 shows a medication dispensing system for controlled preprogrammed dispensing of medication to a patient and for creating a retrievable patient medication record. Manually rotatable carousel or magazine is adopted to receive individual cassettes of medicine. The cassettes have been manually preloaded in a preprogrammed manner in the hospital pharmacy or the like. The dispensing unit is programmed according to individual patient needs to signal at selected times when medication is prescribed. The medication can be accessed for dispensing only after entry of valid nurse or other personnel identification code into a dispensing unit memory. The dispensing unit further includes sensors for detecting removal of any medication cassette and for signalling the dispensing unit memory to create a corresponding patient medication record. A data transmission device is provided for selectively programming the dispensing unit memory and/or for reading the patient medication record from the memory. There is no real time dispensing event log at hand at any other place but in the dispensing device itself. The cassette system and loading of cassettes is difficult to control.
It is an object of the invention to provide a dispensing system for doses of medication, which is void of the above-mentioned drawbacks and shortcomings.
One specific object of the present invention is to keep a real time dispensing event log at a distant control location (such as in operator""s internet server) which can be accessed via internet by those who have a key code or password.
According to a further object of the present invention said distant control location has programmable intelligence to follow dispensing schedule of each identified dispensing apparatus programmed to be followed and to give an alarm to one or more predetermined care giver via any appropriate communication path. This arrangement focuses the personal care to such patients who really need it. A greater number of patients can be followed and helped.
Still another object of the invention is to use a dispensing cartridge which facilitates filling or loading of the dosage compartments by doses of medication either manually or more or less in an automated manner by using a loading robotics, and which dispensing cartridge alone can also be used as a simple manually operated dispensing apparatus which is provided by visual indication of dispensing schedule, said visual indication serving both for manual filling or loading and for manually operated dispensing if the cartridge is used alone as a manually operated dispensing apparatus.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide, as a preferred option, a possibility to fill or load the dosage compartments of the dispensing cartridge under control of a computer program which gives an alarm if there are non-compatible medications to be loaded.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a medication dispensing system wherein the information of identification, medication and dispensing schedule follows the cartridge and can be easily re-programmed and transferred between the cartridge and the memory-of the dispensing device containing the dispensing program, as well as between either of these and a programming computer.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention on the basis of the characterizing features set forth in the annexed claim 1. The non-independent claims disclose preferred embodiments of the invention, which facilitate dosing or loading logistics, offer versatile re-programming possibilities for dispensing, and facilitate the supervision of medication.